1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a storage rack for an all terrain vehicle and more particularly to a container support rack which will accommodate containers of varying heights and diameters.
2. Description of the Prior Art and Objects
All terrain vehicles (ATV) are typically three or four wheeled vehicles having a seat for one or more passengers and a rear storage rack which typically includes a plurality of spaced apart horizontal steel tubes and a plurality of vertically spaced apart rearwardly horizontally disposed retaining tubes. These racks typically provide limited storage space for fishermen, farmers, bird watchers, and others who use all terrain vehicles to travel into the wilderness. Fishermen, for example, typically want to carry a minnow bucket and also a second bucket in which they place the fish which they catch. Bird watchers frequently want to separately store different bird seed. Also, a farmer may want a container for seed and a second container for tools or fertilizer. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and novel storage rack for storing a plurality of containers on an ATV storage rack.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,180B1 issued to John F. Walker, on Jan. 30, 2001, discloses a carrier accessory for attaching containers having enlarged diameter rims thereon in a plurality of rings which are mounted on the rear of the all terrain vehicle. Frequently, fishermen, farmers, bird watchers, etc., have rimless containers or containers which have a smaller or larger diameter than the rings illustrated in the Walker patent and thus, the Walker device is of limited use. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide an all terrain vehicle storage rack which will accommodate rimless containers.
It is yet another object of the present inventions to provide an all terrain vehicle storage rack which will accommodate containers of varying diameters or breadths.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an all terrain storage rack of the type described which will accommodate rimless containers having varying heights.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an all terrain storage vehicle of type described which includes a platform for underlying a container supported thereon and a container ring which envelopes a container supported thereon.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an all terrain vehicle storage rack of the type described which includes an L-shaped mounting bracket having a horizontal base which supports a container thereon and an upstanding leg on which a container retaining ring is mounted.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an all terrain vehicle storage rack of the type described including rigidifying rods which span the terminal end of the base leg and are tangentially fixed to a portion of the retainer ring remote from the upstanding leg.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide an all terrain vehicle storage rack of the type described which includes a one-piece rigidifying rod which couples the base to a portion of the retainer ring remote from the upstanding leg.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an all terrain vehicle storage rack of the type described wherein the upstanding leg includes a plate having a pair of rows of vertically spaced apertures through which fasteners, such as U-bolts, are disposed to couple the plate to the support rack of an all terrain vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an all terrain vehicle of the type described in which the vertical leg includes an upstanding plate of a predetermined breadth and a transverse bar having terminal ends which are fixed are tangentially fixed to a pair of laterally spaced container receiving rings.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an all terrain vehicle storage rack of the type described wherein the horizontal leg include a pair of container support wings projecting laterally outwardly from opposite sides of the horizontal platform to provide a pair of laterally spaced container supports aligned with a pair of laterally spaced overlying container rings.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an all terrain vehicle storage rack of the type described including a rigidifying rod which spans the platform and the container support wings, and thence spans the container support wings and tangentially couples to a portion of each ring remote from the upstanding leg, and finally spans the terminal end of the horizontal platform and each ring.
The aforementioned Walker U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,180B1, discloses mounting brackets which are laterally or horizontally spaced apart a substantial distance that would prevent the use of the Walker bracket on many current ATV racks. Typically, the top rail on many ATV racks is relatively short and thus, the mounting brackets must be laterally closely spaced. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel all terrain vehicle support rack which is adapted to be mounted on a wider variety of all terrain vehicle racks than the prior art permits.
The lack of an underlying support platform disclosed in the Walker patent seriously limits the load capacity thereof. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel all terrain vehicle support rack which has a higher load capacity than the prior art.
In the prior art patented Walker construction, the buckets project downwardly below the brackets a substantial distance which, under certain conditions, can cause the bottom of the containers to come in contact with ground brush and debris and perhaps even the ATV rear tires. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel all terrain vehicle storage rack which overcomes the problems with the existing prior art all terrain vehicle carrier accessories.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art as the description thereof proceeds.
A storage rack for an all terrain vehicle including an L-shaped bracket having a horizontal leg for supporting a container thereon and an upstanding leg, mechanism for detachably coupling the upstanding leg to an all terrain vehicle; at least one endless bucket receiving retainer for freely receiving a container supported on the horizontal leg and coupled to the vertical leg; and upstanding hoop mounting rods spanning the horizontal leg and the ring.